This time I’m looking at 2B James Monger, the stalwart Omaha infielder. Monger played 18 seasons, and is a shoe-in for the Cyclone Hall. But should he be in the Big One?
First we’ll look at the indicators:
JAWS 44.4 vs. 2B HoF average 57
Gray Ink: 0 (23)
Black Ink 38 (112)
HOF Standards 54 (54)
HOF Monitor 89 (133)
These are not great. He touches the HOF Standards but is pretty far off the mark everywhere else. By JAWS, Monger is the 20th best second base candidate of all time, below guys like Chris Workman and longtime Fred Holmes guy, Juan Pablo. Behind Zebediah Williams, who should be in only because before Mons Raider he was the all-time steals leader. This makes sense when you look at his WAR totals by year:
| Year/Team/League | Age | WAR |
|---|---|---|
| 2034 Omaha - BBA | 21 | 1.3 |
| 2035 Omaha - BBA | 22 | 5.3 |
| 2036 Omaha - BBA | 23 | 7 |
| 2037 Omaha - BBA | 24 | 4.4 |
| 2038 Omaha - BBA | 25 | 3.7 |
| 2039 Omaha - BBA | 26 | 3.4 |
| 2040 Omaha - BBA | 27 | 1.7 |
| 2041 Omaha - BBA | 28 | 4.3 |
| 2042 Omaha - BBA | 29 | 2.2 |
| 2043 Omaha - BBA | 30 | 3.7 |
| 2044 Omaha - BBA | 31 | 3.3 |
| 2045 Omaha - BBA | 32 | 4.2 |
| 2046 Omaha - BBA | 33 | 2 |
| 2047 Omaha - BBA | 34 | 2.2 |
| 2048 Omaha - BBA | 35 | 3.8 |
| 2049 Omaha - BBA | 36 | 1.8 |
| 2050 Omaha - BBA | 37 | 1.2 |
| 2051 Omaha - BBA | 38 | 0.8 |
| 2052 Omaha - BBA | 39 | -0.2 |
| Total BBA | 56 |
Bottom line: he was an exceptional player at age 22 and 23, and from that point on was generally very good, but not dazzling. I note that he won his Zimmer in 2036 at 23, was an All-star in ’36 and ’37. His Puckett was 2036. So, yes. He was really, really good as a kid. But then he turned 25.
So, let’s look at him and his 2B WAR compatriots:
| Rank | Player | WAR | YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charles Puckett* | 88.70 | 1997-2021 |
| 2 | Douglas Newhouse* | 83.44 | 1996-2015 |
| 3 | Dong-po Thum# | 65.58 | 2039-2054 |
| 4 | Valeri Kharlamov* | 65.34 | 2020-2040 |
| 5 | Mark Bruner | 56.93 | 1995-2008 |
| 6 | Eric Martin* | 54.99 | 2006-2018 |
| 7 | James Monger | 53.93 | 2034-2052 |
| 8 | Daniel Pepper# | 51.85 | 2041-2054 |
| 9 | Ernie Stauffer* | 51.25 | 2008-2023 |
| 10 | Lance Pere* | 50.04 | 1993-2013 |
| 11 | Bernard Maselli* | 49.35 | 1997-2015 |
| 12 | John Neely | 48.07 | 1998-2009 |
| 13 | Chris Workman | 46.96 | 2021-2038 |
| 14 | Mack Randall | 44.05 | 1991-2004 |
| 15 | Francisco Arredondo# | 43.57 | 2041-2054 |
| 16 | Kenare Sobah | 40.83 | 1992-2005 |
| 17 | Rocky Wattson# | 39.67 | 2039-2054 |
| 18 | Bryan Vogel | 38.62 | 2012-2030 |
| 19 | Edgardo Encarnación# | 37.67 | 2038-2054 |
| 20 | Juan Pablo | 37.38 | 2020-2035 |
Interesting. We can ignore Pepper because his 5 WAR this year, and the last seasons of his career are going to make him pretty close to a slam dunk.
If Monger does not go in, there will be two guys below him (Lance Pere and Bernard Maselli) in the hall. Those guys were both early votes, in that their careers finished by 2015. Same for Martin and Bruner, really. And I note that Bruner is not in despite 56 WAR. So, really, I have no interest in putting him the Hall of Fame … except for this point:
- At 454, Monger has 28 more home runs than any second baseman in BBA history
I mean…
Here are his Bill James questions:
1. Was he ever regarded as the best player in baseball?
No. Not really close, though that one 7 WAR season is pretty to look at.
2. Was he the best player on his team?
No. He was always an important cog, and there was that one year, but I’d not say I looked at Omaha and said “I just gotta stop Monger.” One year does not a HoF career make.
3. Was he the best player in baseball (or in the league) at his position?
Again with his 23-year-old season? Otherwise, no.
4. Did he have an impact on a number of pennant races?
He was a Cartwright MVP in2046, and played on that championship team. So, yes.
5. Was he a good enough player that he could continue to play regularly after passing his prime?
Indeed. That is, in fact the reason he’s here. He was effective for 16 seasons.
6. Is he the very best player in baseball history who is not in the Hall of Fame? (Remember, this was written before the heart of the PED era)
No. Not close.
7. Are most players who have comparable career statistics in the Hall of Fame?
I would argue no, but reasonable minds could disagree.
8. Do the players numbers meet Hall of Fame standards? (“Hall of Fame standards” are another James invention, the results are listed on every player page on Baseball Reference, you can see what the numbers are by which James calculates those “standards” by visiting Baseball Reference here)
Not really close.
9. Is there evidence to suggest that the player was significantly better or worse than is suggested by his statistics?
No. In fact, just the opposite. Those 454 home runs that are the link-pin of his case came from a career played in the hottest home run park in baseball. If he were in a neutral park, one can suggest that number would be 350 or 360, and here would be literally no way he’d stay on the ballot.
10. Is he the best player at his position who is eligible for the Hall of Fame but not in?
Yes. Though that’s not saying a lot.
11. How many MVP-type seasons did he have? Did he ever win an MVP award? If not, how many times was he close?
One. When he was 23. And he did not rank in the Silk vote.
12 How many All-Star-type seasons did he have? How many All-Star games did he play in? Did most of the other players who played in this many go into the Hall of Fame?
Two-time All-Star. Age 23 and 24.
13. If this man were the best player on his team, would it be likely that the team could win the pennant?
No. Not close.
14. What impact did the player have on baseball history? Was he responsible for any rule changes? Did he introduce any new equipment? Did he change the game in any way?
Not really.
15. Did the player uphold the standards of sportsmanship and character that the Hall of Fame, in its written guidelines, instructs us to consider?
We will stipulate he was an upstanding baseball citizen.
Off Topic
Bottom line assessment – I love Monger as a member of the Omaha Hall of Fame, but the only reason I’d think about adding him to my ballot is due to those homers. But they are cheap homers. So, for my money, he’s a no.
As an aside, I find it interesting to see how few really good 2B the league has had. A lot of it, though, has to do with career progressions. Mons Raider and Lucas McNeill, for example, played 2B as kinds, but then moved to other positions as age and better defenders pushed them away. So they go to the Hall, but they go in as 1B, or whatever.
This also has a way of making Monger look better than he might have been. Add those players in, and Monger may slide down the career leader boards for some stats. Dunno, though. I haven’t actually done that.
Regardless, Monger … nice little player … not on my Hall ballot.
As an aside, I find it interesting to see how few really good 2B the league has had. A lot of it, though, has to do with career progressions. Mons Raider and Lucas McNeill, for example, played 2B as kinds, but then moved to other positions as age and better defenders pushed them away. So they go to the Hall, but they go in as 1B, or whatever.
This also has a way of making Monger look better than he might have been. Add those players in, and Monger may slide down the career leader boards for some stats. Dunno, though. I haven’t actually done that.
Regardless, Monger … nice little player … not on my Hall ballot.
